Divorced
by Nerielle Tu
Summary: When the magical world grows wary of Professor Grabiner's marriage to a student, the marriage must end for the sake of Iris Academy. But is that really what Hieronymous Grabiner and his young wife, Neela Peya, want? Grabiner/MC
1. Chapter 1

A / N: I do not own Magical Diary, go buy it from Hanako Games!

When the first person had suggested that Professor Hieronymous Grabiner was perhaps biased, his class had a few grumbles. He had glared and given the naysayer 10 demerits for such an accusation, and threatened detention. Had he not already been an overbearing and overtly strict man they might have taken it the wrong way, but they knew he just wouldn't stand for disrespect. Or that's what it was at first.

Professor Grabiner's wife was a student. She had been both a student and his wife since she was 16 years old. Now she was nearly 19, and nearing the end of her final year at Iris Academy. She was most certainly two things, bright, and beautiful. Everything else, she seemed to lack. She was elected her first year as Treasurer because people liked her and believed she would do a good job. She was only re-elected because she'd done a good job. What this resulted in was unfortunate for her. You see, a beautiful girl with good grades is one thing. A beautiful girl with good grades who supposedly spends all her time with the Professor she typically attends the classes of is another thing. Despite that it wasn't true, it was assumed to be the case. And with very few friends, being her long term room mates and the President that had been elected every year with the same swiftness as the Treasurer, there were very few people to say how untrue all of these things were. Which, they were, drastically so.

The most unfortunate thing for her however, was that she had married halfway into her freshman year. So most people who would be naysayers merely assumed that she was flirting her way into Grabiner's pocket from the beginning. What had stopped the talking for a year was the word that it was to maintain an oath. People gave her the benefit of the doubt, and there was not much talk of favoritism. Then, a year passed. And she was asked by a boy to the ball, and she had promptly refused. When asked why, she said she was married, and would not accept due to this fact. And since then, the seeds of doubt had been planted. Why else would a pretty girl marry a much older, and grumpier man, but for grades? The students barely believed he stayed married to her for those reasons, nonetheless the idea that perhaps he actually enjoyed her company.

And that was how Neela Peya-Grabiner ended up on the recieving end of a speech, a speech she didn't like at all. The freshman and sophmore from this year (the freshman being the main culprits) didn't remember the first year of school for Neela. They didn't remember she was lanky (something she still was) and doe eyed. They didn't remember she had always been clumsy, spoke out of turn, or that she was extremely naive. They didn't remember because all those things had changed before they'd met her. And while Minnie, Ellen, and Virginia (and even Donald, who tried to keep up their friendship despite it ruining his terrible reputation) could tell anyone she was just like them from experience, they couldn't. To everyone of the students, she was a silent and softspoken girl with very good grades. They never saw her spend time with her grumpy husband because the two of them were not very open about those sorts of things, and so they assumed it was a marriage solely for carnal benefits and grade advancements, respectively. But to her, the clumsy loudmouth girl she still was inside was still there, just hidden behind the grown up layers a marriage to a man who could be your father would do to a teenage girl.

They also didn't know that her grades were not something she got handed. Oh no, on the contrary, she studied day and night and took her studies so seriously it got her sick sometimes. Her husband was hard to please in anything, and if she studied well and did everything right then he might just be a little more inclined to invite her for tea in his room. She was like a blushing school girl, just like any of them, but her young love did not want kisses or candies or notes. He was a grown man and to appeal to him, she had to grow up just a little faster. But she had enjoyed learning more about life. She had enjoyed his company, his knowledge, and the occasions in which he shared his life with her. Which was why now, sitting in front of Professor Potsdam and her husband, she was shocked to hear she would have to divorce her husband.

After being married to him for over two years. After working up the nerve to nearly beg to stay married to him, to make him understand that she felt more rewarded from his forms of affection than she ever could from someone her own age. To make him understand that well- she was serious about that young love business! And, most of all, after she had decided to give up her wildseed family after another week with them at the end of the year. To be a witch. To study the magical philosophies Ellen wanted to, and more, to apply it all, to learn more and more just like her husband. And...to stay with her husband. Even if she could no longer sit in his classes and take notes on everything he said and sometimes even take a moment to glance at him a little longer than necessary. She had decided it all. And now here it was.

"It's not what I want either," Professor Potsdam said sadly but all too eagerly. "But we finally decided to bring you into the conversation because it became more and more apparent that our little Freshman have...grown too hardheaded." Potsdam spoke unusually solemn, like she did whenever you did something wrong. But without too many metaphors and with just enough seriousness to know you couldn't doubt her. How long had this possibility been discussed without her? Neela was doing her best to be composed and elegant. "Isn't the entire purpose of this school to weed out such students who would refuse to cooperate based solely on rumors and gossip?" She was sure her husband would be proud, but she could not gage his reaction, as he was standing in the middle of Neela and Potsdam and turned just enough that looking at him was not subtle, and she didn't feel like losing her composure by seeing if she was losing through her husband.

But then he spoke. "That's correct. Unfortunately, this has stemmed into far more than gossip," his voice was actually ..rehearsed. Like he'd known he'd have to say all this. Like she was a child and not his wife who should be respected and protected. She almost choked on her words at that. 'No,' she thought bitterly, 'I guess it would protect me to shield me from knowledge that is apparently so frightening that it would force both the most fierce Professor in the entire school and the most set in her ways one as well into ...this' Neela lost a bit of composure for a moment and then looked at him. It was a mistake, she knew, because he seemed like he had for a long time. Like he did when he was in his own world that he did not consider her a part of. Not the face she understood and saw when they were alone. "Elaborate for me then," she smiled weakly.

She knew she'd lost the discussion before it was four sentences in. It had been one thing when students were supposing, but when the Professor's wife was a top honors student in the student Government and yet never seen with him? She was not displayed even with a token of affection from him. Potsdam had even interjected that the only reason they had not been allowed to use talk of children against them was because students were not permitted to carry children. Parents had started to complain. And then it went beyond that, to notions that perhaps Iris Academy needed to be scoped out and made sure to be official. That perhaps they needed one or two more Professors of choice decided by parents. A lot of things, a lot of rules, and all of them would destroy the intended place of the academy. To protect and teach every student from Wildseed to magic born.

And it was all because of Neela.

She supposed she would have been upset either way. Well, because she loved her husband. She didn't say that, she knew the reaction she'd get, but she loved him dearly. Sitting there knowing the truth, that she would need to divorce him and that it would need to be public knowledge, unsettled her. But it was worse to hear it in an office. To hear from her husband and her professor together in the most uncaring and incompassionate way ever that she would be divorced was the kick in the stomach she needed to feel very hurt.

Then there was an awkward silence. What could anyone say? All her husband could say is, ...well something snarky she knew she wouldn't like. Or maybe something caring, but that would hurt more. And Potsdam would just give that sad look she always did when she could do nothing and then say everything she just did but more harshly. And all Neela would say is, No, I don't want this. And then she'd be weak to everyone and she wanted *that* least of all. Then Professor Potsdam spoke.

"If you'll be a dear and come in now," she said gently but loud enough that she could be heard outside the door, "We need you." Neela turned to look and there was Minnie Cochran with her elegant long brown hair and her matching chocolate brown eyes. If people thought Neela was beautiful then Minnie was radiant. But she looked sad, just like she had at Neela's wedding. And then she realized in horror that she was going to have a divorce right that second and *Minnie* would be the witness. Neela stood.

"Well," she said with a smile. "I guess we'd better get it over with." The smile was seethrough. So seethrough she knew they all caught her intention, but respected they could not pry. But she didn't crack until her soon to be ex-husband stood beside her. "I'm sorry, Neela. It was wrong of me to withhold this from you, and to spring it on you so suddenly. I was doing my best to protect you," he stated delicately. So unlike him. So...completely unlike him. Neela laughed and everyone in the room turned to her.

"Our marriage really was filled with too many apologies," she said sadly.

It had all happened so suddenly, and becoming divorced was just as quick. Just like her wedding. But not her marriage, that had been so deceptively long. So nice, too. When the words were said and witnessed and done, she was just Neela Peya again. Professor Potsdam looked at her with a sad smile, and *Professor* Grabiner was very hard to read. "Just so you know, this only has to apply while you are a student, Neela,"

Neela froze. Why would she even say that? Her ex husband hadn't cared enough to share with her, had not warned her, had never even really said he loved her after two years, and she was supposed to think maybe just MAYBE he'd do all of the things he hated again? Maybe it wouldn't have to be in a dungeon this time. Maybe it could be in a swamp, or a dumpster. How *lovely*. "Petunia. You're not giving the intention you think you are. If you'd please be QUIET and let me-" But the words had already sunken in. The realization of two lost years trying to impress someone who didn't seem to care much at all. Tears sprung from her eyes and she moved her hand quickly to stifle a sob. She accidentally made the mistake of looking at Hieronymous Grabiner and seeing the oddest most perplexing look of ..guilt? Maybe even sadness? On his face. And yet she had to leave, she didn't have time to look or dissect anything. She ran crying out of the room.

Professor Potsdam got a deathglare from her co worker. "Well, that would have been a perfect opportunity to propose marriage.. in a few months! Afterall, there's no way she can fail now!" Minnie Cochran noticed the look on Professor Grabiner's face was not actually of disgust at the idea, but anger that Potsdam had said what she did. "You insufferable-" and then Minnie left too, not wanting to get involved. But she did catch "As if I would allow you to view me in such a moment you ridiculous -" and the last word she chose to ignore.

Neela was halfway back to her room when she was stopped by Ellen, who had just returned from the mall. "Neela, are you alright?" she said with extreme concern. She'd never really seen her cry before, maybe once or twice. "no.." she said with some strain. When she refused to answer Ellen took her back to the room. "Tell me, Neela..."

Neela looked up with red eyes and tears still pouring from her face.

"I'm *divorced*"


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: I do not own Magical Diary.

Hieronymous Grabiner sat in his room pondering the same fact Neela Peya was. He was divorced. There were a lot of things he'd been. A lot of things he'd lost, too. Many of them were so long ago he had let them be. And some of them had cut so deep he would never be able to let them be. But this was very peculiar a situation. His young wife had only become his wife out of necessity. If she hadn't, she would be dead, and he would have lost his magic. And then a year after they wed, she had come to him and asked him something he had not expected.

'Please allow me to continue being your wife!'

The conversation had lasted hours. Rightfully so, she had convinced him to stay married to her. She had even brought out enough self deprecation to make him admit he enjoyed her company. More than he had even before the summer of the previous year, he now found himself mistaking her for his wife in a way he felt he shouldn't. He even found himself appreciating her small gestures of kindness he would have once shrugged off as insignificant or foolish. Now it was just what it was, a small gesture of kindness from his wife. Or that's who she had been. For more than two years she'd been his wife, his comfortable companion growing up in front of him. Growing up with him. Not learning the hard lessons he had, though, taking her toughest lessons with stride. Her toughest was him. She embraced him so thoroughly it was no longer a lesson.

And now it was gone. The memory of her tears was fresh in his mind. He'd seen her cry, and he'd see her cry because of him. But that memory was the most important one. To him, the thought of his marriage being gone was not like it was to her. He did not cry, he did not even come close. He did argue, he'd done that for months, hoping to be able to protect his little wife from words and not expecting they would become actions they must both perform. No, to him, it was he was the same man he'd always been. But a little less fuller, perhaps even a little less happy. And that puzzled him, more than frustrated him, because he had never expected to grow to deeply care for his little wife.

But from the moment he had kissed her on, he had grown to love her. Not the way he had loved Violet, which had shaken his world and changed his whole life when it left. Not the way he had remembered love to be at all. It was not a passionate throw of feelings nor was it incredibly intoxicating. It was instead pleasant, enjoyable, and even a happy time for him. So now that he was divorced, he wasn't quite sure what to feel. What would be right. It was most certainly not right to rob Neela Peya of anything more, he had already robbed her of two years of her life. Two years he had abruptly erased. And when he had, she protested even more than she had in the beginning of it all.

No, he wasn't sad to the point of tears. He was merely sad to the point of reflection. Reflection to Violet, and then to the years after, and then to his crying ex-wife as she ran out the door with a look on her face that had cut in a way he had never felt before.

Neela had cried for hours. Then she had stopped, ranted and raved to her roommates, then cried some more, and then decided it was time to move on! Then she walked outside, heard someone mention her ex-husbands name, and cried again. It was the next day, late into Sunday, that she did finally feel better. Ellen and Virginia hadn't quite understood, but they never really had. Minnie was the only one who understood even a little bit, but even she didn't pretend to know what it was like to accidentally marry your professor, accidentally fall in love with him, and then get divorced without a say in it. But even Donald, who had understood least of anyone, still comforted her. (Though it was in the form of antagonism) She had regretted in her Sophomore year that her marriage alienated her from people she liked. Every other week she spent all day at the arcade, but that didn't stop people from believing she spent all her time with a Professor and thus treating her differently. She had fully embraced that halfway through her Sophomore year however, and asked to stay married.

She almost wished she had legitimately been wasting her time away with Hieronymous Grabiner, because then he would have been annoyed with her and she would have had no pretenses of remaining married. She would have pushed him away with clingy needy behavior and been given the boot a lot sooner, and she probably never would have fallen in love that way. Most of all she was bitter. Bitter there wasn't more to be sad about, bitter that the only thing that was truly hurt in all of this was her feelings. A few kisses in private, a few Saturdays, delicately written letters, and mutual respect had formed the oddest and most endearing feeling inside of her she'd ever known. And now all she could do is regret it hadn't lasted longer. That there wasn't more to it. How could two people be married for two years and never once discuss the idea of consummating the marriage? Only when one of them was a little girl and the other was a man who'd never find interest in such a young girl.

So when she stopped crying midway through Sunday, she knew it was the right thing to do. Her marriage to Hieronymous Grabiner was not normal. It was an accident, even though to her it would always be a happy one. And she'd lost nothing. Impressing him had been done through respect and hard work. Hard work she could not exactly take back, and why would she?

But she was still a teenaged girl no matter how hard she tried not to be. So when it came time to plan her classes, she could not take any of his. The thought brought tears to her eyes. "Why don't you take Green Magic with me Wednesday?" Ellen asked thoughtfully, as if she hadn't even noticed the beginnings of tears. "I know for a fact you've been slacking off in it!" She was referencing the final exam from last year, but it was all Neela could do to smile and put that down for Wednesday. When Neela had fallen asleep, Virginia looked over at Ellen. "Geez, you think she'd be happy..." she said quietly. "Who'd want to stay married to Grabby?" Ellen stifled a laugh. "You said the same thing when she told you she wasn't going to divorce him. I don't know but...she does," she said as she looked towards her very sad sleeping room mate. Virginia let out a sigh. "Yeah yeah...I know...unfortunately," And then her room mates followed her to sleep.

The next morning she woke up later than normal. Virginia was still in the room, and she looked to her. "Running late?" she asked with a peculiar look on her face. "Staying in," she said with a reluctant smile. Virginia paused, then nodded, "Well I'm just late for gym. See you later tonight?" Neela nodded, then went back to sleep. When she woke hours later she felt hungry and her body felt stiff. 'That's what I get for sleeping too much...' she thought with a sigh. She didn't take many days to sleep. Ever since freshman year she took as many opportunities as possible to study and attend classes. It worked out well for your education when the best way to your husbands heart was studying. And on top of that, she enjoyed it more and more for it's own merit. She'd even formed a special bond with Ellen regarding magical philosophy and the idea of pursuing it, though in a different way than Ellen intended.

Everything felt like it had moved entirely too fast. Not just the last two days, but this whole period she'd been married and then divorced. The period in which she became a witch and learned magic. Before they had come to speak to her and seal her magic, she had accidentally turned her hair white. She hadn't done more than that, texture and feel was still the same, but it was as white as snow. She had hoped it would regrow the messy brown it had been before, but it never did. She had been offered the chance to have it turned back, but that wasn't the point. The point was normal teenage girls didn't accidentally have white hair. Then they didn't accidentally get married. Or accidentally love someone. She stared up at the ceiling and thought about things for awhile, ignoring the feeling in her stomach.

She had loved her family like a normal girl would for a long time. But then she learned she had magic, and suddenly it was all erased. Her mother used to brush her hair and talk to her about everything. When she turned 10, that started to adgitate her. If only she could go back to before she was 13 and not get so mad at her mother for touching her hair she changed its color. She was just throwing a fit at the time, but she'd never forget it now. It was fitting to lose her mother in such a way, she guessed. Her favorite thing as a child suddenly gone, and now her mother never could sit and have talks with her. She wasn't a stranger, but she wasn't able to properly be her mother. She was more Hieronymous Grabiner's wife than she was her mother's daughter. Or she had been, when she was married to him.

She was already tired of sulking. But what else could she do? She didn't feel like telling Potsdam never mind about her family. It had been the right thing to do. She had already lost the husband she loved, next she would love the parents she'd loved all her life. It wasn't fair to them to make them think fondly of their only daughter off in boarding school. Without her they might adopt or be able to live their lives without worrying about a daughter who could never be like them again. She sat up.

It wasn't fair, no, but she'd make it. She was going to make sure every last parent who wrote in knew exactly how wrong they'd been when they assumed her perfect grades were thanks to her ex-husband.

The whole school was abuzz by Friday. Neela Peya was no longer married to Professor Grabiner. A lot of people congratulated her and whispered under their breaths about Grabiner, now talking about how he was so evil a man he used a poor innocent young girl after forcing her into marriage. This gossip reached Neela first, and she hid her rage behind a smile. "Oh no, Professor Grabiner was never unusually cruel," she said politely. "And he most certainly never used me." But no matter what she said, rumors went on. They went on and got worse. But Hieronymous had expected as much. The intended course of action was to get everyone talking so that all inquiries would stop. And he knew Neela would never spread such rumors, as he had almost never so much as been in the same room with her without express consent.

Not to mention, she'd been the one who'd come to him with reasons why they should remain married. And he had argued each and every point until she looked him in the eye and asked him if he really did detested being married to her that much. He had explained what he thought was always clear, she was a young woman with dreams and hopes beyond him. She had shaken her head vigorously, and said, 'No, you know that's not what I meant! I meant, what do you want? It doesn't matter how many times you say what I should want, I don't want that! But what do you want?'

He was walking silently to his quarters at this point. The day had ended, and Neela Peya had not been in any of his classes this week. Normally, she took three classes with him every week. Her eyes were so full of life and happiness, and somehow they got even brighter when she looked at him. He was just an aging old man who'd long since had nothing to dream about. But from the moment he'd awoken to see her body being drained of all it's life thanks to his foolhardiness, things had begun to change. He hadn't particularly wanted his life to change. The only piece of his life he wanted to change had long since been gone. So when it was forced to, he was unsettled.

And then he had grown used to her. The way she would stand nervously at his door for at least a minute before actually knocking. The way she would smile at him like nothing had ever been wrong in the world, like he'd never even done her wrong. 'Like I'd never held her against a wall and threatened to lock her in a dungeon,' he thought with a grim sarcasm in his voice. And the very rare occasions where she would lose her temper and put him in his place. They had all unsettled him at first, each and every one of those things he liked about her. What a professor should admire in his student is her studies, her devotion, her eagerness to learn, her respect for the rules, and her dedication. She had all those things, and he admired them. But he admired all the rest of her too, all the things a husband should admire.

And that was why it was so hard to put this to rest. To forget about it. He was still thinking of what he should say to her and how he could assuage her sadness. She was no longer his wife but it felt like she should be. He reached his quarters and placed the book in his hand down on his night stand. And then he sat in his chair and tried to relax. It was like he was a teenager again and trying to think of ways to make up with Violet.

But Neela was nothing like Violet. She was beautiful and smart like her yes, but in a completely different way. It didn't even suit him to compare them anymore. Violet had been his age at the time, and they'd both been foolhardy and naïve. It cost her her life. It cost him the rest of his, or so he thought. He thought he'd spend the rest of his life making up for her losing hers. And he had wanted it to be that way. And if Neela Peya had never been treasurer it would have stayed that way.

'But what do you want?'

His thoughts returned then to the memory of his heartbroken young ex-wife and her tears.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: I do not own Magical Diary.

"Have you heard what they've been saying?" Neela said with exasperation as she walked with Virginia and Ellen in the mall. "It's terrible!" Virginia shook her head. "You know, I'd have picked ol Grabby to be mean and cranky, but to prey on innocent students? Well...okay maybe a little. But not like they're saying now!" Neela would have chuckled were she not so frustrated. She shook her head. She had delivered all the letters and money to each student and not seen her ex-husband when she had gone to retrieve them. He obviously did not want to see her.

And she was alright with that. Maybe. Alright, it still kind of hurt. Really hurt. Pretty much hurt as much as it did before. But she was out with her friends! She didn't have time to cry!

"I want the biggest cookie that new bakery has RIGHT now!" Neela said with frustration. Virginia grinned. "Wow, for the first time in two years I feel like we finally understand each other!" Neela shot her a playful glare, and then the three of them all laughed together.

It was Thursday. All week, she had studied and taken classes with Potsdam. She had tried, tried beyond everything she could muster, to take something with Grabiner. But she could not do it. She just couldn't yet. And so that was why on Thursday afternoon she was headed towards her afternoon class with Professor Potsdam. And that was when she was stopped.

"Neela!" a voice had suddenly called out to her as it grabbed the sleeve of her robes. She had turned to look and it was a boy one year younger than she was. A boy who had asked her to the ball last year, only to be told she was married. Her heart skipped a beat and she hoped beyond all hopes he would not ask her now. Not now. "Oh, hello.." she said nervously as she looked over to the door she had been about to step into.

The boy looked nervous. "You know Neela, you always wear your hair up in a ribbon, you look..." he paused, "really nice when you're not wearing it. Not that you don't with it but! It's..different, and nice." Neela's face went blank. She had always worn a black ribbon in her hair except on the rare occasion when she forgot it. She hadn't even thought about it for two weeks. Had her mind really been so occupied she had forgotten it? Had she really been so worried and sad about Hieronymous Grabiner that she didn't even remember that? "T-thank you," she spurted out.

"So Neela," he said slowly. She opened her mouth to interupt, to object, to say 'No! Please don't do this!' but he cut her off. "Neela, I've loved you for two years now! I know you had to say no to me before, but now you can say yes!" He declared loudly. Loudly enough for everyone to turn and look at them. Neela stood horrified. And he didn't stop there. "You always helped me study, and had the funniest things to say about everything! I saw you walking down the hall the first day I was here and I knew I loved you! And I've never forgotten you! Never! Now that you're free of Grabiner I beg of you...please, please give me a chance! I won't hurt you and use you like he did! And I don't care that you were married to him, I understand that he made you! I love you Neela, and I always have!"

The whole hall stood and stared. Of course, Neela was the topic of discussion anyway. Now Grabiner's ex wife was getting love declarations? Would she cry and speak ill of her husband, say how she never thought she'd find love after that horrible incident? Neela stood and stared at him in shock. She didn't dare to turn her eyes to the other side of the hall, towards HIS classroom.

Towards the classroom of the man she did love. That had married her to save her life and then stayed with her when she wanted it most. And then who left her to protect each and every student in the school in the way only he could. Tears formed in her eyes. The hall was deathly silent. Why? It shouldn't have been! It should have been bustling and normal. There were whispers, and the boy moved to open his mouth, but Neela got there first.

"No!" she yelled, not even meaning to. Tears came pouring out of her eyes. She covered her mouth, knowing she couldn't say everything she wanted to. Knowing it wouldn't be fair to this boy who truly did love her, or thought he did at least, or fair to the person she loved to put him on the spot. The boy looked immensely hurt. "Why?" he asked painfully. She knew she had to answer, knew she didn't have the strength not to say SOMETHING.

"The person I have loved for two years has just left me. I can't love anyone else until my heart recovers. So I can't give you a chance, or anyone else!" she declared sadly. And instead of going into Potsdam's classroom, she ran back to her own room, leaving a crowd behind her. In the last moment she caught sight of the very man she was talking about. And her heart skipped a beat when she saw the slightest hint of sadness in his eyes too.

'But what do you want?'

The words had echoed with him, like the words of a ghost. Like the words Violet said to him. But Neela wasn't dead, she was right there. He had underestimated her, and underestimated how much she had come to care for him. Her public outburst had left the school buzzing even worse than it had been before. The grumpy old professor and the shining pupil who loved him. It was closer to the truth than they realized, then they'd twisted it with more lies to spice it up.

She was just a little girl compared to him. She was 18, close to being 19 now, and that did not come close to his age. He did not like to think of romantic gestures or make declarations, it was not who he was. But sitting in his room, he felt, was solving nothing. It was simply making him more irritable than usual. It was extremely odd how he could miss her visits, and miss her spirited conversations. He took a sip of his wine and sighed.

He knew what he wanted. He just didn't **want** to want it.

That's when he noticed someone at his door. There wasn't knocking, there wasn't a voice, but he knew it. The footsteps that had passed by his door always came and went, but these only came. And if he listened closely, he could hear soft breathing. Only one person stood so nervously in front of his door. And then he heard a knock. But he didn't answer.

"Professor.." the ever familiar voice rang out. The word it said stung though, like a slap. A reminder that the one thing he wanted was currently not his. A reminder he wanted it in the first place. And with that reminder came guilt and frustration. What kind of man wanted to be married to such a young girl? A little insolent girl who would have never been in this mess if she wasn't so brash and foolhardy. Foolhardy like she was now, coming here and trying to speak to him when she had run away from the beginning. He was about to answer when she spoke again. "No...Hieronymous. I'm sorry, if that makes you uncomfortable, or upset. I..." she paused for a moment. "I can't say much. It hurts too much, and besides, you might not even be there, so, here," she spoke. Well, he supposed he should give her credit. He was there, but she was too afraid he would be. Afraid that he would reject her. He could tell. She was scared of being rejected by him again.

He never even wanted to divorce her. It had been a necessity. No, he'd wanted to be her husband. And he'd wanted to kiss her when she cried the day he had failed to protect her and ended their marriage. But he was a grumpy old man who'd made too many mistakes. He didn't deserve for her to understand. And it would be wrong for a man well past her age to want to kiss her, or God forbid treat her like a husband would a wife. He said nothing, and soon she was gone. At the foot of his door, however, was a letter.

'I suppose being married to you has not been entirely unfortunate.'

Her eyes had shone then.

'Thank you Hieronymous, but can you say what you mean with a little less sarcasm?'

And he had. He had told her he would like to stay with her as well. And then he had suddenly abandoned her, as if that had all been a lie. He hadn't given her any sort of warning.

He knew then he needed to rectify his mistake before it was too late.

It was Monday, and Hieronymous had begun to think over the steps of his plan. But it was time for his class, and so he had put those thoughts to the side. It was early, so his classroom was empty, but it wouldn't be for much longer. Slowly students began to come into his classroom. He looked down at his book for a moment longer while he waited for the rest of the students, until he heard a pleasant and familiar voice.

"Good morning Professor Grabiner!"

He looked up and saw Neela Peya smiling brightly at him. He was a little taken aback. "Good morning Ms. Peya," he said swiftly. Her smile did not waver. She took her seat in the front desk to the left. He had underestimated her once again, her bravery surprised him. The note she had written him two days prior had been extremely telling and forthcoming, and he had not expected her to come to face him so soon. He was not sure she would face him at all, unless he said or did something first. Thinking back now on the neatly scribbled note, he recalled that she had terrible handwriting. She must have spent hours perfecting that letter and every word in it, which meant she meant it all.

Now, he couldn't get the letter from his mind. He had reached for the letter after a moments hesitation, and had opened it tentatively. The book he had been reading was discarded and he had dissected her letter for the better part of a night.

_Dear Hieronymous, _

_I am writing you to apologize. I did not listen to what you had to say after recent events, and have been avoiding you since. I know you must have noticed. As someone who has given me much wisdom and happiness it was not right for me to suddenly treat you that way, no matter the hurt I was feeling. You have given me the ambition and passion to work harder, and the dedication to become a better witch and a better person. I know you do not believe me, but I will always be grateful I spent the last two years as your wife. And I will always care deeply for you. Thank you for everything._

_With love, _

_Neela _

With **love**. That was just like her, to declare her passionate emotions in a subdued and indirect manner. Then again, that was probably because he did it even worse.

Through the course of the lecture Neela did as she always had. Her hand raised quickly, she asked thoughtful questions, gave thoughtful answers, and did the best she could. And whenever they made eye contact he noticed a light smile she had always given him in the last year of their marriage.

Just like nothing had changed at all in her heart.


	4. Chapter 4

AN: FYI, I realized about halfway through this I had made an error with the length of enrollment in Iris Academy. It was four years, I thought three. So Neela is really about to be 20, and they've been married about three years. Sorry about that, here is the finale.

...

When Neela Peya returned to her room she was flustered and anxious. Three years, she thought absently, three years to come to this. To know a man who never wanted to be known and to love him when he didn't want to be loved. To be his wife. The truth of it all was so saddening now. Even after all this time there were rules. There were codes of conduct, things she knew would help and things she knew wouldn't.

She wondered if maybe it was all in vain. Years of getting to know someone and changing fundamentally thanks to the experience. Growing up faster, and happily at that, and finding joy in things beyond her years. Learning to play the piano again, to impress her husband. Studying, to prove herself to him as well as herself. To everyone. She had thought about it, a long time ago. Divorce. Right before begging him not to end it.

She could have been normal.

But somehow, she'd decided she didn't want normal. She wanted to stay married to her teacher, to get to know him and love him. No, she already loved him then. And even though their relationship had so many rules, it was a rewarding and happy thing for her. It took her so long to realize that she wanted to be happy, and that being with him made her happy, she had over reacted and been upset thoroughly throughout the entire situation.

Suddenly, her body began to shake and her face twisted with anger. "Ugh!" she yelled in frustration as she threw a pillow at the door right as Ellen came in. Ellen was hit by the pillow in slow motion as Neela moved to warn her, but it was too late. They both paused for a moment.

And then they laughed.

"Are you alright?" Neela stifled out between laughter. Ellen nodded. "Next time just tell the door what it did wrong! I'm sure it will understand," she smiled and teased. Neela blushed. "Sorry, you know. Just frustrated I have to act thirty years old when I'd rather act 5 and scream and stomp my way back into being married," she sighed. Ellen raised an eyebrow, "If that's what you want to do, I'm surprised you're showing so much restraint!" Neela raised an eyebrow herself. "Why's that?" Ellen chuckled and then sat down on her bed and looked at Neela. "When you really want to do something, you really do it! I never told you this but when you were in the process of trying to stay married before, you were talking in your sleep about the reasons Professor Grabiner should stay married to you."

Neela froze, and her face went white.

"What did I say?" she insisted and demanded to know. Ellen smiled, and then blushed. "Oh, some of it was rather sweet! And I'm sure you probably said it all to him too. Except the part about ...what was it? Arguing with him that you were fairly sure you were attractive and he didn't even have to be afraid to...make a move?" Neela turned away and flushed. "Oh my God! I couldn't even say that to him and you heard me say it in my sleep!" Ellen tried to stifle a laugh. "And then you asked him if you were his type, just to make sure," Neela picked up the other pillow on her bed.

"Never ever repeat that to anyone...ever! Especially not Virginia!" Ellen quickly looked away. Neela paused, horrified. "Did ...did she hear too?" Ellen blushed.

"Well...not until you started to apologize for the size of your-"

Neela threw her other pillow at Ellen. "Shut up!"

Ellen couldn't help but laugh as Neela stared at her extremely underwhelming chest area. "I would never say anything like that in person! I'm just-" Ellen interrupted her. "A self conscious teenage girl who tries way too hard to please her extremely critical ex-husband who probably doesn't mind half the stuff she worries about?" Neela looked away. "Point taken. Now, do tell, do I talk in my sleep regularly?" Ellen went white then. "Well...Virginia and I agreed not to talk to you about it until graduation, but I guess you should know..."

And then Neela was distracted by the terrible revelation that she had been far more friendly with her friends than she'd known in the past.

It helped distract her from her biggest fear that even though she'd done everything the way she knew it needed to be done, it might still not work out.

...

That Saturday she did what she always did. She woke up astronomically early and trudged her way through the halls until she reached the office in which all mail arrived. She was exhausted, the latent stress building in her mind was weighing her died. As she opened the door and walked into the empty room she let out a sigh and patted down her messy uncombed hair. There was a lot to deliver, as usual, and she felt more tired than she usually did when she woke up this early. So she gathered up the mail and divided it all by hall, and then stopped.

"Neela," a distinctly british voice rang out as if he'd been there the whole time she was sorting the mail. Neela turned politely around, trying not to hide her shock that he had so thoroughly snuck up on her.

What's so great about a grumbly old man? She had once asked herself. What's so great about a teacher? What's so great about him? Don't I want anything else?

But the answer had always been the same. Even when she was easily angered, even when she hated how difficult her husband could be, even when their age differences showed and even when she felt inferior to him. Other girls felt special because someone cared about them. But could it even measure to how special she felt? To have been saved by him, and then accepted by him? And she regretted so thoroughly her inability to see how childish she'd been behaving. All because it twisted that special happy feeling he gave her. All because every cup of tea they shared and every intimate detail seemed to fade away in these last few weeks.

"Ah, Professor Grabiner..." she stuttered out nervously, her words slow as if to hint they were reluctant. "Good morning." She didn't feign a smile. While it was respectful, her calling him anything but Hieronymous after so long was still so foreign. To both of them. And the meaning of her saying it was not lost to him. "Good morning," Then there was a moments hesitation. But then he was the one to speak, to her surprise. "I have read the letter you left me. It is early and I know you have your responsibilities, but I thought it best I tell you in person. I don't doubt your sincerity, but if what you said in your letter is true...then I invite you to come to my room later and discuss it further. We could discuss it now, but it is far too early and-" Neela interupted abruptly. "And you wanted to give me the chance to rethink my words?" She asked bluntly.

"Yes," he answered in a matter of fact way. She smiled in response, which took him aback. Though she was young, sometimes it was difficult to predict her. "Thank you, not for that opportunity, but for answering me...when you didn't have to." He opened his mouth, and after a moment shut it. He had been about to say, that is my responsibility, but it wasn't. She was no longer his wife. He'd simply wanted to show her the kindness she had showed him. And some bitter cold part of him deep down had said that even if she decided she was a fool, like she should have all along, he had wanted to see that look in her eye again. The sweet look of his wife, even when she had been terrified of him, she had been his wife. He was old and grumpy and she countered it with being sweet and mature, and most of all by loving him. He had been alright at the thought of losing that, but seeing it one more time had been worth it. He would never admit to her how her eyes could soften his anger and bitterness, but he would never deny it if she asked.

She looked at him with that softness in her eyes.

"I will see you later, Hieronymous."

...

Neela felt calm.

More calm than she'd felt since she found out she was to be divorced.

She ran her hand through her long white hair, and she stared at the door she was about to knock on. And then she raised her hand slowly, and knocked twice. After a moment of silence, the voice of her ex-husband rang out. "Come in," she opened the door gently and glanced over at the man who stood before her. Usually, he was always sitting down in his cozy chair. Reading, working on something. But now he was standing. Silence swept over them.

Neela opened her mouth, but strangely she was interupted.

"Three years, and you've yet to see the benefit of being free of me?" he stated, but not in a cruel way. In a way meant to be humorous. Neela smiled, the air feeling less stiff. "Haven't we been here before? It's not that, it's merely that I..." she paused. Her eyes shifted from the floor to his eyes and she smiled. Before she could continue, he interjected with a sigh.

"Neela Peya. You have been coming to my room for three years now. You have shown me kindness and respect. You have provided humor, patience, and amusement. Primarily, you've shown wisdom beyond your years. And yet you approach me still as if you have wronged me. I believe the very first study session I provided you knew the answer and yet you stuttered? So why now after all this time, when you are approaching me with nothing but good intentions if intense naiveity, do you come with an air of apology?"

Neela blinked.

Did he just textwall her? With compliments? Alright, compliments and maybe one underhanded comment about her maturity, but still. She blinked, and then she opened her mouth. "Well, to be fair, you divorced me rather abruptly-" the look on his face suggested annoyance. "And when, Neela, did I ever suggest that this was something I did for any reason other than to satiate the insufferable cries of outraged groups?" Suddenly, Neela's face went red. "What?"

"Granted," he continued. "the lack of communication on my part was..." Neela spoke up. "Inconsiderate?" she chimed in helpfully. "Yes," he said after a moments hesitation. "To put it rather mildly. I thought I was protecting you from the whole matter. Initially, I thought it would be easily solved..." Hieronymous Grabiner paused. The truth of it all had been so convoluted. It started with complaints from students. Students turned into parents. Parents turned into Otherworld representatives. How had it even gotten that far?

"I see..." Neela hesitated. She didn't want to insult his pride. How had it gone from something he could control to a real problem he could not fix? But if she asked him that, he would be upset. She didn't want that. She stayed silent. He was, afterall, admitting he had been at fault. That must have hurt. The blush remained.

"I let things get out of hand. That is why we are here today, Neela, and I-" suddenly, his words were cut off. "No! Don't just blame yourself like that. I mean, it's true I was angry...and I was sad too. But didn't you just say you...didn't want it? If you're saying sorry for not telling me, then okay. I accept your apology, but really...because you didn't tell me beforehand...and because you and Professor Potsdam just sprung it on me...I thought...maybe you just didn't want to be married to me anymore," Neela looked at her hands shyly. That really sounded stupid now that she said it. As she observed the floor, two feet in particular came within range of her eyesight.

Then his fingers were on her chin, and he lifted her face so her gaze would meet him. As she looked into his eyes, she felt guilty. In his eyes were the usual seriousness and a deep sense of mystery. But right now, her words seemed to both confound him and hurt him. "Neela," he said simply. "Do you really picture me as someone who would go about things in such a roundabout, not to mention extremely inefficient, manner?" She looked into his eyes and felt completely exposed. How silly had she been, thinking something like that? Believing it? Avoiding him because of it?

Hadn't he always protected her?

"I...wrote my father," he stated plainly.

In a moment, she felt her stomach lurch and her heart ache. That had been all he needed to say. He hadn't even needed to say that much. It must have been humiliating. Not to mention if it had gone so far a noble couldn't fix it, it was most certainly a big deal. And he'd done it...for her? She looked into his dark eyes couldn't look away. She could see the signs of his age all over his face, but she couldn't help but find him handsome, in some strange way.

Boldly, she moved her hand to the side of his face. "You...always protect me. Even when I don't know it," surprise was clearly evident on his face. And tears began to spring in her eyes. "Will you...ever forgive me?" she choked out. "Why are **you** apologizing?" And she smiled. "Well, it just feels wrong for only one of us to say we're sorry, doesn't it?" Hieronymous pulled away from her.

"You have grown so much. In every way. Taller, wiser, stronger, and with more and more desire to succeed and the skill to do it with. You have become...important to me. At first, you were just my pupil. Then you were my wife...and now you're not. Somehow, I'm not happy with that arrangement. In fact, after all this time...there is only one person I can really stand the company of. There is only one person I can claim to 'love'."

Neela wasn't sure what to think. What was he saying? He had never...never ever been so sweet. Or considerate. And sure, it was not something you'd read in books. No, it was better because of that. These were words only Hieronymous Grabiner could say to her. Her heart swelled.

"In a matter of months, you will be a graduate of Iris Academy. You will no longer be a pupil, and you will instead be free to pursue whatever endeavors you so choose. And if you so choose...I would be most..." Hieronymous Grabiner was almost at a loss for words. He had never done this with anyone. Not ever. He had declared his love before, but never had he asked for someone to marry him.

"If you would have me, I would gladly welcome you back into my house and ...once again assume the role as your...husband. Assuming of course you would once again like to be my wife," Neela Peya's heart stopped. Was he really doing this? Really saying, oh yes, by the way – I actually do want to be married to you. Really...saying he wanted to be with her? "You have a good amount of time to think about it, howeve-" "Yes!"

Neela Peya had stopped crying. She was now filled with determination and glee. "Of course I would! I..I don't need any time to think about it at all! I...I've loved you for so long now, you have to have known that..and...the thought I'd never get to be with you again...that was the worst part!"

It only took a moment after she finished saying the words that her new fiance had pulled her close to him. Such an intimate thing. Most people wouldn't think much of it. But to her, it was so momentous she wanted to cry again. Cry...because it had not all been in vain. She would get to be with the one person she loved most. And so she started to cry again, because she didn't know what else to do. Within a moment, he was not just holding her. He was kissing her. Calming her down with a simple action and both making the feelings worse while making her world stop spinning.

It was not as plain a kiss as the first one. It was longer, more momentous, and a celebration of something happy. But it was not so long as to be uncharacteristic of her extremely unpassionate... **fiance**. There was quiet for a long time.

"Hieronymous?" she said eventually, parting from him. He looked at her, with a look that suggested he had only moments before regained his composure. "Yes?" Neela shuffled her feet. "I was wondering, if there were two things I could ask from you...about getting married, I mean," and then she looked at him. One of his eyebrows were raised, but he did not seem bothered. "Go on," he stated simply.

Neela looked around hesitantly. "Well...can we not get married in a dungeon this time? I don't know about fancy dresses or anything, but at the very least I would like very much not to be married in a place that reminds me of getting teleported upside down...among...more unpleasant things..." Suddenly, a smirk formed on his face. "And here I thought you would like the company of a hodag as the witness," Neela, shocked by the joke, laughed very audibly.

"You...I really love you," she said with a bright smile. It took a moment, but his gaze softened. "And I..love you," her heart felt like it would explode. "I...I better get going before I make a fool of myself. I...I'll see you soon. Very soon, I mean, you can even write me...and I'd come...I just..." his young wife started spouting nonesence from the sheer excitement of the moment, but as she reached for the doorknob he stopped her. "Neela," he said abruptly. She turned to meet his gaze.

"Wasn't there another request you had?" Neela, hoping he had forgotten, blushed as she looked at the door. "Maybe this time, we could...you know, talk about actually consumatingourmarriage but that's for a later time, goodnight Hieronymous!" she said abruptly and left the room before he could decipher her words.

He was slightly grateful she left, as he made the flustered face of a teenaged boy. If only for a split second. Then he coughed to himself, and returned to reading.

But truthfully, he hadn't realized just how happy it made him. After several failed reading attempts, he instead turned to simple planning. Afterall, how on earth was he going to prevent his father and Petunia Potsdam from attending, anyway? Fake addresses? Excuses? After a moment, he simply smiled.

Because if she was there...maybe he could tolerate their presence. At least, as long as she was looking at him with her sweet smile.


End file.
